and day expect the Punishment that their Crimes deserve This World affords at best no other Life Than what is Complicated up with Strife For in this lesser Orb we Mortals see The very Eliments at Variance be The flitting Air and solid Earth make War And th' Fire and Water nothing do but Jar No Wonder then we Mortals Change and Fade When we of Fickle Elements are made Wealth Beauty Honour and Preferment high No sooner come from Heav'n but back they fly Whilst those poor Souls who fix therein their trust By Heav'ns Blasts are blown away like Dust And plung'd in Mis'ry with the Ambitious Soul For where 's the Mortal can the Fates Controul But if we would Live Undisturb'd and Free And shun the Labyrinth of Misery Let 's seek ah seek and find poor Souls distrest A humble Cottage where Life lives at Rest And feed our Vitals maugre horrid Strife On that we Mortals call The Bread of Life Quenchin◠that Thirst which doth our Spirits cloy By Drinking everlastig Streams of Joy This Summum Bonum if we hope to have We must Conform to th' Advice which Solon gave Contemn this World and follow Wisdom's Rule 〈◊〉 is most Wise who thinks himself most Fool. 1. The ROSE crop'd by Youth LOOK in the Morning and you 'll see the Rose-buds to awake And from their Beds most fragrantly a pleasant Odour make And when the Gard'ner to it goes it can't his Knife withstand But strait descends this Damask Rose to wither in his Hand Ah! gentle Youth thus strive to crop from off this Bush a Flower Turn back behold one ready stands thy Youth for to devour The MORAL T IS most expedient that Man first of all should Meditate upon Death whether he will be a Philosopher or not For we find but two Certainties in this World Life and Death From whence I infer As soon as Nature has done her Duty in the first and set the Wheels at work the latter should be put in Practice i. e. We should be putting our selves in the Grave every day we live To which end consider O my Reader that thou art brought forth in a Garden whereof God is supream Lord and Master thou art set as a Plant in such a Soil to grow up according to its Fertility Death is thy Gardener who is appointed to Root up evil Weeds and to gather fragrant Herbs and Flowers for his Master's Palace therefore is it not better for thee to Converse with thy Gardener to understand his Natural Qualities that thou mayst be the more Potent in Pruning-time to lose a Branch or two than to have the whole trodden despicably amongst Briars and Thorns Consider thou canst not Fee Death nor evade his Darts and that every one must kiss his cold Lips and fall asleep in the Dust. 2 The Innocent Lambs Sporting and Playing HOW innocent and lovingly the tender Lambs do play Bah Bah they cry most chearfully as trav'ling on their way They think no hurt With quiet Mirth they 're drove with Whip in hand Nor do they Dream at all of Death when Butchers by them stand Amongst the Grass i' th' pleasant Fields these harmless Lambs Consort They leap for Joy and toss their Heels till Death does end their Sport The MORAL WHY wilt thou Delight thy self O my Child in provoking thy Brother to Wrath Is it for thy Credit to be Quarrelling one with another when every day Providence drives thee nearer towards the Slaughter-house Thou little think'st of this but know that thou art going where-ever thou art to the Court of Justice and is it not better to take thy Brother by the Hand and run quietly that the Judge may Smile on thee and Sing thee Asleep in his Arms. Consider Brotherly Love is as Chains of Gold about the Neck and without it we are worse than Savage Beasts Love Sweetens our Dispositions and flings away all Acts of Hostility constraining us to turn and Kiss one another in the Heat of Broils and Animosities But where is this to be sought for In Relations there 's very little Sympathy to be found every one's Heart is case hardened to the Afflictions of his Friend and to say in Extremity I am thy Brother or Kinsman by Blood c. is like Whistling to the Wind or rowling Stones up-hill 3. The Turtle Surpriz'd and took Sleeping WHen blust'ring storms are blown away and Waves begin to fall Then Sol with his warm glitt'ring Rays most calmly up does call The Turtle pleasingly to float asleep upon the Sea But when it 's catch'd by Men i' th' Boat it wakes immediately And when too late it sees it self surpriz'd and taken fast It sighs and sobs with briny Tears so long as Life doth last The MORAL IF thou wilt Hunt be sure let it be with all the innocent Diversion imaginable For what occasion hast thou to Curse thy Horse because thy Game out runs him Or thy Game because it endeavours to escape thee with its Life Surely thou art asleep when thou dost so and no Wonder if thou art taken Napping when thy Horse is Leaping a Hedge or Style by the common Hunt who is at the Back of every one to catch'em when they fall Let this be thy Rule in all thy Recreation and thou wilt Discern him plain enough to Shun him Besides when thou art about a Journey or Some other Sporting Exercise of Body form an Idea of its Nature and Quality thereby no Mischief shall ensue nor will thy Senses be Stupify'd with the Fatiegues thereof Farther let this Consideration rouse my young Schollar out of that Lethargy of childish Pleasures which terminate in Affliction So he shall have true Pleasure and Delight in his Satchel the Love of his Superiors and escape the Epidemical Consequents of Excess and Wantonness when the impure Child shall be devour'd by the Jaws of Satan and Weep when 't is too late 4. A Dog returning to his Vomit IS' t not a Nasty sight to see a Dog to Spue amain And when 't is out immediately to eat it up again So strangely does this Cur delight to swallow down his Throat What he before with all his might most loathfully cast out Would it not make Man's Stomach loathe the daintiest Dish of Meat To see this nasty brutish Dog its Vomit up to Eat The MORAL T IS common with School-Boys to Spue out Repentance upon one anothers Backs when they are under their Master's Correction and as frequent to wipe it off with their Tears For how many irreiterated Promises will they make to save a little Smart But when it 's over they forget 'em and run to their unlawful Exercise with as much Celerity and Egregiousness as before Indeed some Cry up Correction as the Chief to be used in Governing Youth but for my Part I abhor it especially the Excess and esteem it as Bestiality and fit for none but Irrational Creatures Slaves and Criminals But rather on the other Hand that they should be manag'd
would not stir nor wag Night coming on the Man himself was forc'd to bear the Bag. The MORAL THE Ass is called in Latin Asinus in Greek Onos and Killos by reason of his Labour in bearing Burthens and by some he is called Magamucos for his unpleasant fearful braying Voice But amongst many Epithets given him he is called a Vile Slow-pac'd Sluggish Idle Blockish Beast Like to him is the Duncepated Schollar that is not at all apt to Learn Nay tho' his Master Whips him and Whips him over again 't is all one for his Brain is so impenitrable 't is impossible to infuse any thing therein Let his Master keep his Learning to himself for what value he sets on 't For whom I think that 's a fit Sentence to bid such a Schollar Sell an Ass thereby signifying his Blockish Averseness to Learning But my Child if thou lovest Wisdom be not Stupid to the Sage Advice of thy Parents nor Refractory to the Dictates of thy Master lest thy School fellows point and hiss at thee for a Block-head a meer Schollar amongst thy Neighbourhood A Blockish Schollar wont the Ass out-strip Altho' he 's often made to feel the Whip 39. The Coney and Spider A Coney being hunted out of many Holes did range Into a Neighb'ring Sandy Field her Boroughing to Change Where meeting with a Spider who not satisfy'd in Mind Was seeking where to weave her Web that none should ever find So they Consult The Spider goes and builds within a Hall Where being brushed down was kill'd by reason of the fall The Coney'mongst the rocks did make a nest Where from the Hunters she does live at rest The MORALS I Cannot but observe from this the truly Honest and Generous Spirit of an humble and patient Man How he will pursue the internal Peace of his Soul before the external Injoyments of his Body and Value a composed Solitary Life before the common Luxurious Delicacies of an infatuated Republick Whilst the Discontented run too and frô amidst the Venomous Streams of Infection and suffer themselves to be blown up like Bubbles in the Air to Dance a little and Vanish The Distressed Coney would have stay'd in her Borough had she not been pursu'd by the Hunters so O Man if thou art Persecuted either in Body or Estate and canst not stay Secure in thy Habitation for fear of Enemies then hast thou a lawful Call to Evade 'em by flying from one place to another till at last they drive thee to the Rock where thou vvilt be secur'd to all Eternity Whilst Vagabonds like the Spider are svvept avvay by the Wrath of common Justice Contented be where'er your Lot is cast The Pitcher oft safe goes 'T is broke at last An Emblem of God's Wrath In Thunder and Lightning AH me when I behold The Heav'ns begin to frown And wrinkled fiery Sulph'rous Clouds Sends red-hot Arrows down When I behold the Sky Bring Darkness ' stead of Light Methinks the Portion I espy Of ev'ry damned Wight When Flashes thence do spring And nought but Flames of Fire And mighty Cannons thundering Do eccho forth their Dire Ah sure it shows a GOD And that this God is Just who 'll Scourge the Wicked with his Rod And burn them up to Dust. When I the Heavens hear With Thunder break their way Ah Lord I am possess'd with Fear Thou 'lt burn this Lump of Clay But Blessed shall those be Who in the Lord do trust For they 'll enjoy Felicity And live among the Just. A Miscellany of Divine Maxims WOuldst thou be truly perfect love God with all thy Heart and thy Neighbour as thy self Let thy eye be always upon God and thy self and thou shalt never see him without Goodness nor thy self without Misery Let us be what God will so we be but his and let us not be what we will our selves against the Will of God He that neglects his own Will complies best with God's So love thy Neighbour upon Earth as that thou mayst enjoy his love in Heaven Thou canst not love thy Neighbour too much but thou mayst too much shew thy love One great Argument of our love to our Neighbour is to bear with his Imperfections We should never endure to hear evil spoken of any but our selves We should never undervalue any person The Workman loves not that his work should be despised in his presence Wherefore beware for God is present every where and every person is his work We ought not to love our Neighbour only because he is good or because we hope he will be so but because God commands us so to do In holy duties we should speak little think much but do more It is a great evil not to do good Confidence in an unfaithful Man in time of Trouble is like a broken Tooth and a Foot out of Joynt Charity makes God our debtor for the Poor are his receivers Hast thou an Estate and wouldest increase it Divide thy riches to the Poor those Seeds that are scattered do encrease but hoarded up they die Arm thy self against a profest enemy but he that dissembleth friendship strikes beyond a caution and wounds above a cure from the one thou mayst deliver thy self but from the other good Lord deliver thee The Touch-stone trieth Gold and Gold trieth Men. As the Servants of God are known by their own Vertues Humility and Charity so the Servants of the Devil are known by their opposite Vices Pride and Cruelty To boast is to be vain since the greatest Conquerour if he measure his own Shadow shall find it no longer than it was before his Victory The World is a wide Prison and every Day an execution-Execution-day Our Stomachs are common Sepulchres for Birds Beasts and Fish they all die to feed us Lord with how many deaths are our poor lives patched up How full of Death is the Life of Man Beware of Drink where Drunkenness Reigns Reason is an Exile Vertue a Stranger and God an Enemy Blasphemy is Wit Oaths are Rhetorick and Secrets are Proclamations To shun the accidental Troubles of this Life is to meditate on Eternity To have a desire to be Poor and not to receive the inconveniencies of it is too great Ambition For it is to desire the honour of Poverty and the commodity of Wealth There is no better way to end happily a free spiritual Life than daily to begin it There is no reason to be given for the Fault we commit in Sin for the Fault would not be Sin if it were not against Reason In short the sum of all is Fear God and keep his Commandments for this O Man is thy whole Duty which if Sincerely perform'd will terminate in eternal Salvation FINIS
If thou wou'dst be a Wooden God after thy Decease away with thy Coffers beyond the Alps. 19. The Lyon and Dragon ALyon ranging o'er a Plain To find no doubt his Prey Met vvith a Dragon when began A fierce and bloody Fray The Lyon knew his Power great Commenc'd unto a King Which made him rore and stamp his Feet To feel the Dragon's Sting At length he bravely Won the day And made the Dragon Yield Who falling on his Back doth say O let me quit the Field The MORAL WILT thou become Victor over thine Adversaries and be able to grapple with Monsters This is not attain'd to presently First try thy Skill vvith Dwarfs and Pigmies then profess thy self Master of the Science I mean my Friend thus In the Juvenal of thy Years begin to encounter vvith petty Vices such as Lying Jesting Coveting Reviling and prophane Babling all vvhich as the Domesticks of thy grand Adversary are to Worry thee vvith Despair that He may vvith the more ease overcome thee at last Begin to make this thy Study and let Conscience be thy Master vvho never vvill Fight but vvhen thou art in Danger and thou shalt not only free thy self from Wounds but evade the Assaults of a Satanick Host. Is it not easy to say thus If I do not leave off drinking novv I shall fall asleep and my Enemy vvill come and Surprize me c. Do these things and thou shalt be a Man of War more Politick than the Devil himself Nip Vice in th' Bud at first however If cropt at last it s better late than Never 20. The Parliament of Bees THe Bees in Parliament agree To chuse themselves a King To make such Laws as Liberty And Property may bring At length they to a Royal be Do make a grievous Moan Imploring him their King to be To sit upon the Throne Which done some idle Drones contrive Their lawful King to Slay Because he had preserv'd their Hives From all the Beasts of Prey But in the very int'rim they were took And justly hang'd on a Triangle Hook The MORAL MOnarchy Thou Witchcraft of Felicity and Enemy to a State free from the pale Cabals of Blood and Slaughter in thy Bowels are Vipers and on thy Brest Vultures Kings that should be most free from Danger move as if every step they took were in the Dark and are if not Hated Envied by all The Courts of Princes are full of Minions Parasites and Favourites Conspirators in the Palace and Regicides in the Bed-Chamber with innumerable Emmissaries without And though Mortals have universally Consented to the Punishment of Treason yet they will indulge themselves therein though they see Quarters expos'd to view on the City-Gates For my part I do not love to imbrew my Hands in the Blood of any Creature especially in the Blood of that Monarch who hath restor'd me Liberty and Property unto whom I owe Subjection Nor is it consistent with Nature that the Feet should kick against the Head because it 's Elivated above all the other Parts of the Body and Governs the same 21. The Vine and Bramble AS flourishing a Grape Vine grevv A Farmer 's House about Some Brambles in a Hedge hard by Had nevvly taken Root Who quarrels vvith the Vine and cryes Where are thy Weapons novv That able are to save thy Fruit Which grovvs on every Bough The Vine replies I 'm vvell content My Fruit should gather'd be Rather than Hevven dovvn and burnt As is the Bramble-Tree The MORAL ARt thou One not given to Contention and wou'dst live Peaceably with â—hy Neighbour Value not the Reproaâ—hes of the Simple What if thou hast â—ot Money enough to Corrupt a Judge â—r Parasites to pervert Justice yet thou â—ast a Friend within who will send thee â—way Justified What if Heaven blesseth thee with Wealth a fruitful Wife and Vertuous Children for a time and afterwards sends one Messenger for thy Son another for thy Wealth a Third â—or thy Wife and a Fourth for the very Bed from under thee it is only to see what Sap is in thy Heart and to make â—hy Vertues grow and Flourish the more And is it not better for thee to be prun'd with the Hook of Affliction than to be cut down by the Ax of Destruction and â—aid up for Fuel with the Thorns of this World Consider thou canst not have 〈◊〉 better Master than Providence and thô â—mmoralists brand thee with Simplicity â—et this suffice to Content thee That thou art not Listed under their Banner If thou hast peace within tho' poor in purse Ne'r mind Reproach That shall be all thy Curse 22. The Parrot HOw apt Young Parrots are to learn What 's by their Owners taught They 'll sing or Whistle forth a 〈◊〉 And plainly speak by Wrote Thus lives poor pritty pritty Poll And in a Cage is hung On high there to be seen by all Who love his prateling Tongue Advanc'd he is within a Hall To live a Life of ease Till from the Hook the Cage falls down And Death does on him seize The MORAL DOst thou take delight in the prateling Discourse of thy Child and art â—esirous to see it terminate in Sagacity â—egin to be a good Dictator betimes so â—â—alt thou be held in Veneration and â—e styl'd in Old Age the Parent of good Manners Let not thy Child's first Lesâ—â—n be a Song an Ayre or Jocose Reâ—artee but rather an Instance of Moral Duty or an Imitation of some Vertue â—is Understanding is able to conceive â—hen instil into him Death and an After-State with the Knowledge of a Deity who is the Chiefest Good and Creator of Heaven and Earth This will put him upon Knowing Himself and inable him to Form a true Idea of the Contempt of this World It will buâ—â— him up under all the Oppressions of Fate and lead him at last to rest on a higher Power than Nature In fine he will be a Wise Man of Use to the Publick when he that has been Educated in all Tongues without Improvement shall be a Rattle for Wise Men to Laugh at Teach not thy Children what is naught For they 'll Learn That without b'ing Taught 23. The Mairmaid and Fish A Mairmaid combs her Amber Lock As sporting on the Sea The which a neighb'ring Fish invites This wond'rous Sight to see Who Swimming underneath did think Securely there to hide For fear that any danger might The Enterprise betide Mean while the Mairmaid ' spies her out Using a Syren's Art Inchanting first her Mind and then Acts a more Tragick part The MORAL THe way to avoid Falling is not to Climb up a Precipice Come not â—ithin the Stench if thou woud'st avoid â—â—fection Nor let the Guilded Bait lure thee to Swallow the Hook Why â—ilt thou suffer thine Opticks to behold â—hat which thou knowest before-hand â—ill prove Prejudicial to thee But â—â—re's thy Misery First thou wilt sit â—â—d look on and then turn Practitioner â—â—rst thou wilt stand afar off and View